The Polka-Dancing Bus Driver And The 40-Year-Old Mystery
Christine Lavin Lyrics

He drives the airport express bus
The main character drives a bus for the airport in Minneapolis

in minneapolis
The setting is Minneapolis, Minnesota

plays polka music for the passengers he drives
While driving the bus, he plays polka music for his passengers

he works monday thru friday
He has a regular work schedule of Monday through Friday

the same shift everyday
He has the same work shift every day

but its on saturdays and sundays
The weekends are when he really comes alive

that he comes alive
He enjoys dancing on the weekends with his wife

'my wife n I go polka dancing
He and his wife are avid polka dancers

every single weekend
They never miss a weekend of dancing

we've developed quite a style over 37 years
They have been dancing together for 37 years and have perfected their polka style

we met whille roller skating
They met while roller skating

which soon led to dating and
Their initial meeting led to dating

eventually to mating
Their relationship eventually led to marriage

and settling down right here
They have made their home in Minneapolis

now I am not a braggart
He is not a boastful person

but I can say with pride and joy
He is proud of his dancing ability

that I've been graceful on my feet
He has always been light on his feet

since I was a little boy
He has been a good dancer since he was young

people stop and watch us dancing now
People enjoy watching him and his wife dance

we know we must look smooth
They are aware of how good they look while dancing

my wife and I have memorized
They have memorized each other's dance movements

all of each other's moves
They know each other's dance moves by heart

but one thing has always bothered me
There is something that has always bothered him about his dancing past

when I was a kid
When he was younger

girls would never dance with me
He had trouble getting girls to dance with him when he was young

no matter what I did
Despite his best efforts

I know I wasn't handsome
He was not the most attractive person

the truth is I was poor
He did not have much money growing up

I tried hard to be friendly
He put effort into being a friendly person

I don't think I was a bore
He does not believe he was boring

but all the girls that I approached
Despite his efforts

simply shook their heads
Girls still would not dance with him

I'd retreat across the dancefloor
He would go back to his side of the dance floor

hang out with my buddies there instead
He spent time with his friends instead of dancing

and soon I just stopped asking them
Over time, he stopped asking girls to dance

it was easier that way
It was easier to avoid the rejection

thank god my future wife
He is grateful to have met his wife

walked in the roller rink that day
He met his wife while roller skating

last year I went to the 40th reunion
He went to his high school reunion last year

of my highschool class
He attended the reunion for his high school class

my wife and I danced all the dances
He and his wife danced every dance at the reunion

the slow ones and the fast
They danced to both slow and fast songs

and I saw the girls -- they're women now
He saw the girls he went to high school with, who are now women

who'd never dance with me
The girls who had rejected him in the past

and all those awkward feelings came back
Seeing them brought back awkward memories

the way it used to be
It was like he was reliving his past

so I went right up to them
He approached the women he used to know

though I was shaking all inside
He was nervous while approaching them

and I said 'something has always bothered me
He brought up the issue that had been bothering him

and left me mystified
This issue had always puzzled him

years ago I asked you to dance
He asked the women to dance with him in the past

and you always said no
The women had always rejected him

what was it about me that you all disliked so?'
He asked them why they had rejected him

well they stuttered and they stammered
The women were caught off guard by his question

and they said 'it wasn't you
The reason they had not danced with him had nothing to do with him personally

we did not know how to dance
They lacked the skills to dance

we thought you knew
They assumed he was already paired up with someone else

we never danced with anyone
They did not dance with anyone, not just him

we always felt like fools
They felt too self-conscious to dance

we were perrenial wallflowers
They were always standing against the wall at events

all through highschool'
This was how they felt throughout their high school years

so one by one he danced them each
He danced with each of the women, one by one

around the high school gym
They danced around the high school gymnasium

his wife smiled as the girls
His wife watched and smiled as he danced with the other women

awkwardly tried to follow him
The other women tried to keep up with his dance steps, but they were not very good

then he took her in his arms
After dancing with the other women, he danced with his wife

and glided out the door
They left the reunion hall while dancing

the 40 year old mystery
The mystery of why he was always rejected by girls when he was younger

a mystery no more
The mystery has been solved